Combined dispensing closure and air filter for liquid-containers



1967 R J. RADCLIFFE 3,333,741

COMBINED DiSPENSING CLOSURE AND AIR FILTER FOR LIQUID-CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 15, 1965 INVENTOR. RICHARD J. RADCL/FFE I BY 1 MAHaOvlvEY, MILLER a RAMBO A ORNEYS United States Patent 3,333,741 COD IBINED DISPENSING CLOSURE AND AIR FILTER FOR LIQUID-CONTAINERS Richard J. Radcliffe, Worthington, Ohio, assignor to Ebco Manufacturing Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 513,979 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-189) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined closure and air-venting filter device for a water cooler bottle or similar receptacle, said device comprising a hollow plug member containing a replaceable air-filtering body and a separable cap section frictionally carried by the plug member and having an outlet nipple through which liquid may be withdrawn from a bottle in which the device is inserted.

This invention relates to a combined dispensing closure and air filter for liquid-containers. It relates, for particularly, to a closure of the plug type which is particularly useful in the neck of a heavy bottle of that type which ordinarily contains water and which is provided for use when the bottle is mounted in upright position in a water cooler and dispenser, the plug-type closure being provided with an outlet opening through which the water is dispensed and an inlet arrangement having filtering means for hygienically taking in air to aid in the dispensing operation.

The plug-type closure of this invention is made of hygienic material, is made of separable parts to facilitate cleaning and to facilitate removal and replacement of the filtering means and low-cost manufacture, and is of such form that it can be mounted readily in the bottle neck and connected to the dispensing unit and can be removed readily from the neck when necessary.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of this invention and one example of its use and in this drawing:

FIGURE 1 shows mainly in section a water cooler and dispenser with the plug-type closure of this invention in the neck of a bottle disposed in upright position in the dispenser and cooler, the bottle being shown in elevation.

FIGURE 2 is an axial sectional view through the plugtype closure of this invention and illustrating schematically the members with which it is associated in the cooler and dispenser.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2 through the closure.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 through the closure.

The closure and filter of this invention is designated in the drawing generally by the numeral 10. It is shown inserted in the neck 11 of a bottle 12 which is disposed in upright position. The bottle is shown positioned in the lower part of a water cooler and dispenser indicated generally by the numeral 13 and which may be of various suitable types. This unit 13 is provided with a pump P which withdraws the water from the bottle through a tube 14 which connects with the closure 10. The closure is also connected to the tube 15 which extends downwardly from it through the bottle to a point adjacent the bottom thereof. The closure 10, as will later appear, has means for removably connecting the cooperating ends of the respective tubes 14 and 15 thereto.

The closure is preferably formed by molding from a resilient plastic material, such as polyethylene. It is formed of two main pieces which consist of a plug member 16 which is adapted to be fitted into the neck of the bottle and to be connected to the lower inlet tube 15 and a cap member 17 which is adapted to be removably mounted on the plug member and to be connected to the upper outlet tube 14. Mounted within the plug member 16 is the replaceable filter element 18 which has suitable porosity and suitable filtering properties and which is preferably of plastic foam material, such as a polyurethane foam or equivalent material.

The plug member 16 comprises a tapering body of continuous annular cross-section which can be forced downwardly into the upwardly opening bottle neck and will be maintained therein with a tight frictional fit. It is provided with an outwardly projecting continuous flange or lip 19 on its upper edge. Supported concentrically within the lower portion of the plug body by an integral inwardly directed flange or wall 20 is an upstanding socket portion 21. The wall 20 is provided with a series of vertical air passage-openings 22 disposed at angularly spaced intervals. It will be noted that the inner surface of the socket portion 22 is cylindrical while its outer surface is tapered. The downwardly inwardly tapered surface of the body of the plug 16 and the opposed downwardly outwardly tapered outer surface of the socket portion 21 produce a filter-receiving socket 23 which opens upwardly and converges towards its bottom end formed by the wall 20. Formed integral with the plug body and depending therefrom in coaxial relationship to the socket portion 21 is a nipple portion 24 which has a tapering outer surface up over which the upper end of the tube 15 may be slipped, this tube preferably being of semi-rigid plastic material.

The cap member 17 has an upper disc-like wall which is provided with a depending peripheral flange 25 and may be reinforced by radial flanges 26 beneath the disclike wall. Integral with the disc-like body of the cap is a depending tubular portion 27 of annular cross-section disposed coaxial With the flange 25. Above the top surface of the disc-like wall of the cap and communicating with the upper end of the tubular portion 27 is an elbow 28, the outer end of which is adapted to receive the lower end of the outlet tube 14 which is preferably of flexible plastic. A lip 29 is provided at the outer extremity of the elbow 28 for increasing the sealing contact with the tube. The inner surface of the tubular portion 27 is cylindrical but its outer surface tapers to provide a smaller lower end to facilitate insertion into the upwardly opening socket portion 21 and a tight sealing fit therewith. When the tube portion 27 is forced into the socket portion, the disc-like upper wall of the cap portion, which carries the tube portion, will be spaced slightly above the upper extremity of the body of the plug 16 and the outer edge of the flange 19 will be spaced from the surrounding depending flange 25 of the cap to provide an upwardly opening continuous narrow annular air inlet space 30.

The filter element 18 is of annular form and in vertical cross-section is wedge-shaped converging toward its lower edge. It, therefore, can be forced downwardly into the upwardly opening socket 23, between the plug- -body wall and the upstanding socket portion 21 and will be wedged therein in tight frictional engagement with such cooperating surfaces of the socket.

With the plug closure assembled from the two parts 16 and 17 having the filter element 18 in position therebetween, the closure can be forced into the neck of the bottle as indicated in FIGURE 2 and connected to the respective tubes 14 and 15 in the water cooler and dispenser 13. The water will be drawn by means of the tube 14 from the tube 15 up through the nipple 24 through the tubular portion 27 and then into the elbow 28 and eventually through the tube 14. As is well understood, it is necessary to have air enter the bottle during the dispensing operation but with this plug-type closure and filter arrangement, the air will enter into the bottle in a hygienic manner. The air will be drawn upwardly through the downwardly opening inlet groove or channel-30 and-will then pass downwardly through the body of the plug 16 and through the. filter element 21 which will filter any dust or particles from the air. The air will continue to pass on downwardly through the socket 23 and finally through the openings 22 into the interior of the. bottle.

The plug-type closure unit may be removed as a single. entity from the neck of the bottleto be positioned in another bottle. However, when necessary for cleaning purposes or for replacement of. the filter element 18-, the body member 17 may be separated. from the plug member 16. This is accomplished by merely exerting upward or outward axial pull on the cap member 17 to withdraw the tubular portion 27 of the cap member from the socket portion 21 of the plug member. At this time, the filter element will be readily accessible so that it can be withdrawn axially from the plug body and bereplaced, if necessary.

It will be apparent that the combined closure and filter element of this invention makes it possible to dispose the bottle upright but to still supply filtered air thereto in a hygienic manner. 'The filter element will filter dust or other particles from the air and is, itself, protected by an overlying cap portion and the only way the air can reach it is by traveling upwardly through the downwardly opening inlet groove. Thus, the air will be hygienically drawn into the bottle. Furthermore, the

hygienic arrangement is enhanced by the fact that the parts are separable for eifective cleaning. Also, production molding is facilitated by making the unit of separate pieces. However, these pieces can be assembled and. disassembled with ease.

Having thus described this invention, what is. claimed 1. A vented, dispensing closure for a liquid-container comprising a generally hollow, tapered plug member for insertion within an open mouth of a container, said plug member including an inner, centrally disposed, axially extending tubular wall defining a liquid-conducting passage extending centrally and axially of said .plug member, an outer tubular wall disposed in radially outwardly spaced relation to said inner wall and defining ,therewith an annular filter-receiving chamber, and a transverse wall interconnecting said inner and outer tubular walls and formed with an opening through which air may pass, said filter-receiving chamber being open at one end of said plug member to permit passage of air from the exterior of said plug member, through said chamber, thence through the opening of said transverse wall and into a container in which said plug member is inserted; an annular foraminous, air-filtering element positioned in said chamber between the inner and outer tubular walls of said plug member; and a cap member having a tubular portion thereon fr-ictionally telescoping with the inner tubular wall of said .plug member, said cap member overlying and partially closing the open end of the filter-receiving chamber of said plug member.

2. A vented, dispensing closure according to claim 1, in which said cap member is formed with a depending annular flange disposed in outwardly spaced concentric relation to said plug member and defining with said plug member an annular air intake opening communicating with the open end of said filter-receiving chamber.

3'. A vented, dispensing closure according to claim 1, wherein said cap member is readily detachable from said plug member and is formed with a tubular elbow communicating with said tubular extension and arranged to receive an end of a remotely extending, flexible cond-uit.

4. A vented, dispensing closure according to claim 1, wherein said plug and cap members are formed from a resilient plastic material and said air-filtering element is composed of a resilient, foamed plastic.

, References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,475,038 11/1923 Tunnell 222-189 3,179,292 4/ 1965 Terry 222-146 X 3,253,753 5/1966 Barton et a1 222563 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A VENTED, DISPENSING CLOSURE FOR A LIQUID-CONTAINER COMPRISING A GENERALLY HOLLOW, TAPERED PLUG MEMBER FOR INSERTION WITHIN AN OPEN MOUTH OF A CONTAINER, SAID PLUG MEMBER INCLUDING AN INNER, CENTRALLY DISPOSED, AXIALLY EXTENDING TUBULAR WALL DEFINING A LIQUID-CONDUCTING PASSAGE EXTENDING CENTRALLY AND AXIALLY OF SAID PLUG MEMBER, AN OUTER TUBULAR WALL DISPOSED IN RADIALLY OUTWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO SAID INNER WALL AND DEFINING THEREWITH AN ANNULAR FILTER-RECEIVING CHAMBER, AND A TRANSVERSE WALL INTERCONNECTING SAID INNER AND OUTER TUBULAR WALLS AND FORMED WITH AN OPENING THROUGH WHICH AIR MAY PASS, SAID FILTER-RECEIVING CHAMBER BEING OPEN AT 